2013 MLB Draft: National League Central Summary and Review
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Chicago Cubs
1-2) Kris Bryant, 3B, San Diego
2-41) Rob Zastryzny, LHP, Missouri
3-75) Jacob Hannemann, OF, BYU
4-108) Tyler Skulina, RHP, Kent State
5-138) Trey Masek, RHP, Texas Tech
Others of note: 6) Scott Frazier, RHP, Pepperdine; 7) David Garner, RHP,
Michigan State; 8)Sam Wilson, LHP, Lamar CC; 10) Zack Godley, RHP; Tennessee;
15) Michael Wagner, RHP, San Diego; 17) Kelvin Freeman, 1B, North Carolina
A&T; 37) Jeremy Martinez, C, California HS
COMMENT: Kris Bryant can make this a successful draft all by himself if he
comes close to living up to his potential as a power masher. 3rd rounder
Hannemann has a good tool set but is behind the curve developmentally due to
a two-year Mormon mission. Pitching was the main theme otherwise, with a
mixture of polished finesse guys like RZY and Garner with harder-throwers
like Skulina and Masek. (NOTE: A reader points out that Garner has been
clocked as high as 95 and Z as high as 94, so the original comment may not be
fair) Some of these arms will need development but there's good potential in
the group. Freeman is limited to first base but performed well in college and
is worth tracking as an interesting org type. Martinez was expected to go in
the third round but his bonus demands drove him down once he didn't go early
enough.
Cincinnati Reds
1-27) Phillip Ervin, OF, Samford
1S-38) Michael Lorenzen, RHP, Cal State Fullerton
2-67) Kevin Franklin, 3B, Gahr HS, Cerritos, CA
3-104) Mark Armstrong, RHP, Clarence HS, NY
4-135) Ben Lively, RHP, Central Florida
5-165) Cory Thompson, SS, Maudlin HS, SC
Others of interest: 8) Scott Brattvet, RHP, Cal State Bakersfield; 9) Chad
Jones, LHP, No School (Louisiana); 14) Willie Abreu, OF, Florida HS; 22)
Layne Somsen, RHP, South Dakota State; 24) Brett Morales, RHP, Florida HS;
27) Zack Collins, C, Florida HS
COMMENT: I like Ervin a lot as an across-the-board talent who does a lot of
things well. Lorenzen is a great athlete and was mostly an outfielder in
college, but his bat is problematic and he has a better shot at making the
majors with his arm. Franklin is a power hitter with a questionable future
position. Armstrong is a classic cold-weather prep pitcher with upside who
will need patient development. Ben Lively doesn't burn radar but throws four
pitches for quality strikes and projects as an inning-eater type. Pitching
was the main focus outside of Ervin and Franklin. Finding some way to sign
Morales and Collins would have been possible under the old draft rules, but
they're certain to attend college under the new bonus pool set-up.
Milwaukee Brewers
2-54) Devin Williams, RHP, Hazelwood West HS, Hazelwood, MO
2S-72) Tucker Neuhaus, SS, Wharton HS, Tampa, FL
3-90) Barrett Astin, RHP, Arkansas
4-122) Taylor Williams, RHP, Kent State
5-152) Josh Uhen, RHP, Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Others of note: 6) Garrett Cooper, 1B, Auburn; 7) Omar Garcia, OF, Miami Dade
JC; 8) Brandon Diaz, OF, Florida HS; 11) Andy Hillis, RHP, Lee University;
21) Tristan Archer, RHP, Tennessee Tech
COMMENT: The Brewers still brought in some top talent early despite lacking a
first round pick, picking up super-projectable Devin Williams. Neuhaus might
have been a first-rounder if he hadn't been injured all spring, so he's a
good find in that spot as well. Astin, Williams, and Uhen all project as
relief pitchers, although good ones if everything works out. Hillis can hit
98-99 MPH but fell to the 11th round due to command and lack of secondary
pitches. The rest of the class looks like organization guys, although there
are always some Mike Fiers-ish possibilities in that category, including
strike-throwing Tristan Archer. Garcia and Diaz are very fast.
Pittsburgh Pirates
1-9) Austin Meadows, OF, Grayson HS, Loganville, GA
1-14) Reese McGuire, C, Kentwood HS, Covington, WA
2-51) Blake Taylor, LHP, Dana Hills HS, Dana Point, CA
3-87) JaCoby Jones, 2B, Louisiana State
4-119) Cody Dickson, LHP, Sam Houston State
5-149) Trae Arbet, SS, Great Oak HS, Temecula, CA
Others of interest: 7) Buddy Borden, RHP, UNLV; 8) Neil Kozikowski, RHP,
Connecticut HS; 14) Nick Buckner, OF, Texas HS; 15) Max Rossiter, C, Arizona
State; 16) Billy Roth, RHP, California HS.
COMMENT: You start off strong up the middle here with excellent high school
picks Meadows and McGuire. Taylor is a project but could become a number
three starter in time, and the Pirates like molding young prep arms. Jones
has first round tools but didn't hit very well in college: is he fixable? I
don't know. Dickson throws in the 90s and might have gone higher if he'd
pitched for a more prominent program; he's a fine choice in the fourth round.
It is mostly organization college guys after the middle rounds, but
Kozikowski, Buckner, and Roth are all promising if they are signable.
Overall, if you told the Pirates nine months ago that they would have both
Meadows and McGuire, I think they would have been thrilled.
St. Louis Cardinals
1-19) Marco Gonzales. LHP, Gonzaga
1-28) Rob Kaminsky, LHP, St. Joseph Regional HS, Montvale, NJ
2-57) Oscar Mercado, SS, Gaither HS, Tampa, FL
3-93) Mike Mayers, RHP, Mississippi
4-125) Mason Katz, INF, Louisiana State
5-155) Ian McKinney, LHP, Boone HS, Orlando, FL
Others of interest: 7) Chris Rivera, SS, California HS; 9) Nick Petree, RHP,
Missouri State; 10) Malik Collymore, SS, Canada HS
COMMENT: The Cardinals generally identify a good mix of upside and polish
early in drafts, then supplement with organization players in later rounds. .
.the thing is, the 'organization players' they pick have a knack of exceeding
expectations and becoming better than other teams expect. Gonzales will get
to the majors very quickly due to his polish. Kaminsky will take longer but
maybe not that much longer; he is very advanced for a cold-weather pitcher.
Mercado and Rivera are prep infielders who didn't live up to offensive
expectations this spring but are still intriguing investments due to the lack
of useful middle infielders in the '12 class. Katz is interesting: he has a
great track record, but scouts worry about his defense and wonder if the bat
will hold up at the highest levels. They said the same things about Matt
Carpenter and Allen Craig, so cutting the Cardinals some slack with guys like
that seem wise to me. Petree doesn't burn radar but has superb pitching
instincts.
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'HARD WORK BEATS TALENT
WHEN TALENT FAILS TO WORK HARD.'
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